The invention relates generally to mounting pendant light fixtures to various components of dropped ceiling suspension hardware. More particularly, the invention relates to the system and method for mounting pendant light fixtures to tee bar clips of varying heights and widths, to hanger bars, and directly to octagon junction boxes.
Brackets for mounting pendant light fixtures to various components of drop ceiling suspension hardware are known. For instance, Peerless Lighting of Berkeley, Calif. makes a two-piece hook bracket for mounting pendant light fixtures to drop ceiling tee bars and hanger bars. FIG. 1 shows first hook bracket 100 and second hook bracket 102, which are adapted for use in suspending bolt 104 from tee bar 106. Second hook bracket 102 installs on to tee bar 106 by moving in the direction of the arrow 110 in FIG. 1. Gaps 108-1 and 108-2 may be used in an alternate configuration to mount first hook bracket 100 and second hook bracket 102 to a hanger bar (not shown in FIG. 1). Such prior art hook brackets, however, are not adapted for use with different sized tee bars, such as tee bars having different heights or different widths or both. Further, such prior art hook brackets are not adapted for use in mounting a pendant light fixture directly to a horizontally oriented junction box that is already mounted within a drop ceiling.
Prior art pendant light fixture brackets are typically specific to one or two types of mounting configurations. For instance, brackets adapted for mounting to a tee bar and/or to a hanger bar typically are not adapted for mounting directly to an octagon junction box. Similarly, brackets adapted for mounting directly to a junction box typically are not adapted for mounting to a tee bar and/or a hanger bar. This lack of interchangeability of different types of pendant light fixture mounting brackets increases the costs associated with manufacturing, stocking, and supplying the appropriate pendant light fixture mounting hardware for various types of mounting configurations.
There is, therefore, a need for a system of components adapted for use in mounting pendant light fixtures to a tee bar, a hanger bar, and directly to a horizontally oriented junction box that has already been installed within a drop ceiling.